Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos Vol 1 6
(the "Desert Fox"), is "winnin' Hitler's whole war for 'im practically single-handed!" Soon, his Howling Commandos get the word that they're going to Africa. Before they leave, though, they do some intensive training, including parachute training. On the last jump, Manelli's 'chute won't open. The only one who can reach him is Fury, who frees the 'chute, but is he in time? Barely—Manelli lands in a tree and breaks his leg. George Stonewell replaces Manelli as the only Howler who can speak German. During introductions, he snubs Manelli and Cohen, tells Ralston, "Glad there's one of my kind in this squad!" and refuses to bunk with Jones. Fury is furious. "There's no time to trade ya in for a real human being! ... You so much as look crosseyed at Izzy, or Gabe, or anyone because of his race or color, and I'll make ya wish you were never born!" Near Tobruk, Libya, the commandos encounter the first line of defense around Rommel's headquarters. Fury orders the radio operator silenced. Stonewell pushes Jones aside to do the job but alerts the radioman, who gets a message out. Cohen commandeers a car and an officer. Four Stukas appear, and the commandos hide beneath an overhang. Stonewell interrogates the officer, who's noticed Stonewell's "superior Ayran" (sic) attitude and offers to spare him if he'll arrange an escape. "I've got no use for Nazis, either!" says Stonewell. The Stukas return. The officer breaks loose and runs into the open, where a pilot shoots him, unable to see the uniform from his altitude. Fury and Cohen take the car to lead the planes away from the squad and trick one into crashing. The others bomb the car, and Fury and Cohen jump free at the last second. Back at the camp, Dugan upbraids Stonewell for allowing the officer to get loose. Stonewell says, "It wasn't my fault!" Fury says, "Whose fault was it, soldier?? Eisenhower's?? Guys like you are all alike—not man enough to take any blame!" They proceed on foot, and a few hours later they come across a caravan. The chief and his people have been robbed and enslaved by the Nazis, so he loans them horses and guides them to Rommel's camp. They creep over the last hill and see an entire division rolling across the desert. Fury orders Stonewell to get Cohen past the bodyguards so that he can assassinate Rommel. Within sight of Rommel's tent, Stonewell moves ahead to do the job himself. Cohen tells him to follow orders. The two begin to fight, which draws the attention of Rommel's bodyguards. They throw a grenade. Stonewell throws it back, which eliminates the bodyguards but wounds him. Cohen carries him into a street, where the rest of the Howlers pick them up in an armored car. They escape through a sandstorm. Once through the storm, they find a German medical unit. Stonewell needs a blood transfusion. He has a rare blood type, and Jones is the only match. Shortly afterward, the British army captures the unit. They tell Fury that their mission was to find the commandos and stop the assassination: they've learned that Rommel is the highest-ranking officer in a German plot to assassinate Hitler. Back at their base, the commandos watch Stonewell silently stow his gear. He's been reassigned. On his way out, though, he drops a note with his new APO, and it's addressed to Cohen and Jones. | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Supporting Characters: * * Adversaries: * *Otto, Fritz, and unnamed, Nazi saboteurs *unnamed German soldiers Other Characters: * * Locations: * * Items: * Vehicles: *Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, dive bomber | Notes = *It becomes apparent with this issue that either the stories do not follow each other chronologically or else the war followed a different course from reality. ''Sgt. Fury'' #1, for instance, takes place just before D-Day in June 1944, while this one takes place earlier. Rommel left Africa in March 1943. * This issue is reprinted in other comics and books, see references for more info.This story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: * | Trivia = *The inker's name is given as "G. Bell." | Recommended = | Links = }} References